The Common Ailment
by Lady StarFlower
Summary: "I wonder where Wing and Shelby are?" Nigel wondered. "Otto told me they were being ill." Franz commented as they plodded down the track. "He said it was a common ailment." "Common ailment? I'm pretty sure that those two won't be defeated by the flu." Nigel snorted. Franz looked thoughtful. "I do not believe it is the flu."


Nigel really hated his life right now.

He was stuck running laps around a huge marathon track that never seemed to end, an angry African American man bellowing exaggerated-yet-promised-to-be-carried-out-threats at their backs, a complaining plump German boy in slightly worse shape than he was sticking by him like gum in hair, with other students known as mini Usain Bolts effortlessly completing the thirty laps in a minimum of time and getting to the cafeteria early.

Oh yeah, and he had detention too, thanks to a grumpy white cat who had caught them whispering in class.

On top of that, his Four Fabulous friends were nowhere to be seen.

"I am believing I am having the heart attack." Franz wheezed. His round face shone with sweat and his body bounced in rhythm to his slow jogging.

"MOVE FASTER, YOU MAGGOTS, OR I'LL FEED YOU TO MS. GONZALEZ'S POISON PLANTS!" The Colonel thundered, prompting a yelp from Franz and a groan from Nigel. Franz's feet propelled him forward in a spurting run until he choked on his own spit and had to resume his slow jogging.

Thankfully, the Colonel was yelling at the others, so the two boys were given a brief reprieve.

"I wonder where Wing and Shelby are?" Nigel wondered as they rounded the corner for their final lap (Handel's Hallelujah Chorus began to play in his head).

"Otto told me they were being ill." Franz commented as they plodded down the track. "He said it was a common ailment."

"Common ailment? I'm pretty sure that those two won't be defeated by the flu." Nigel snorted. Wing and Shelby were indestructible, invincible, and altogether invulnerable. Any other words to describe them with will be simply sacrilegious.

"I am just repeating what Otto has been telling me." Franz mumbled. Nigel apologized for his errant manners and they both cheered as they crossed the finish line. The Colonel nodded at them as they rushed for the doors leading to the cafeteria.

"Where is Otto? And Laura too?" Nigel queried.

"Detention." Franz said cheerfully. "It's part of one of their schemes." Nigel sighed. "Of course…"

"Anyway, I am hoping they will serve the rotisserie chicken with the potatoes." Franz licked his lips in gleeful anticipation of the hearty meal to come.

Nigel murmured a half-hearted assent; this time he was thinking about Wing and Shelby. "Maybe we should check on them."

"Checking on Wing and Shelby shall deny us the warmest food." Franz protested.

"I put friends above food. And besides, it'll only take a few minutes." Nigel rebutted. Franz sighed, shaking his head, making the blonde curls of his hair dance. "Playing the guilty card on me? Fine…"

"It's the guilt card, not the guilty card." Corrected Nigel. They were scurrying quickly past students all headed for lunch, and Franz's stomach growled loud enough to make a bear's roar sound weak in comparison. Franz looked apologetic. "I am being very hungry…"

"Let's just hurry up." Nigel peered down the corridor, where one door of the seventh sector was left tightly closed. "Odd." Usually the doors were left slightly ajar to let the patrolling guards know that the students weren't planning a nuclear holocaust in the rooms in secret.

Franz naturally barged in. "Wing! How are you fee—MEIN GOTTMMPPH!" His friendly enquiry ended in a muffled shriek.

Nigel had clamped a hand over his friend's mouth. The two were staring at the very PG-13 scene in front of them.

Wing had tackled Shelby against the wall, and she had laced both her long toned legs around his waist. They were kissing…if kissing could be the PG term to describe what was really going on.

Shelby pulled away from Wing to glare daggers at the two intruding boys. "We're busy." Wing didn't even deign them with a look. He was still preoccupied with the gorgeous golden-haired girl draped over him.

"Sorry!" Nigel and Franz scurried backwards out of the room and tightly closed the door behind them. They fled the atrium, heading straight for the cafeteria. As they ran, they collided with a white haired boy holding cassette tapes and a red haired girl carrying a reel of old fashioned movie tape.

"Oh hey Franz! Hi Nigel!" Laura said cheerfully. "Did you happen to check on our two invalids?" Nigel was still as red as a tomato and had difficulty breathing.

"You were being right." An equally-red-faced Franz rasped to Otto. "They are very sick."

"I am always right." Otto said with a wink, holding up the reels of tape. "Heh heh….perfect blackmail…"

"I thought you were in detention…?" Nigel squeaked. Otto looked puzzled, then his forehead smoothed with understanding. "Oh, that. We had to borrow that room cuz it has the best signal. Of course, getting to detention is the hard part considering Dr. Nero's uncanny eye…"

Nigel sighed, still trying to wipe the scene he had just witnessed out of his mind. Hopefully lunch will be far quieter and more peaceful….

A white cat screeched from her classroom as they walked by, "Argentblum! Darkdoom! Did I not say that you had detention after classes?!"

Rats.


End file.
